Communicating with Your Older Parents So They Actually Hear You
Photo credit Joe Hepburn
“My mom is 81 and lives alone in her condo,” Judy Hanson writes. “Her arthritis is painful, but she gets around with a walker. Her mind is okay for now, though she is sometimes forgetful. I also feel that she is lonely. “I’m worried about her safety and have been telling her for several years that she needs help,” she continues. “I’m not proud to say that I’ve stooped to yelling at her, but I have done it. I hate the thought of her falling and not having help, and I also think she’d be happier with more company. There’s a nice assisted living close by me so that’s wher...
Source: Minding Our Elders - April 8, 2020 Category: Geriatrics Authors: Carol Bradley Bursack Source Type: blogs
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Dear Candid Caregiver: My 79-year-old mom has been widowed for a little over a year. She’d always depended on Dad to help her because her arthritis limited her movement and she uses a walker much of the time. Now, though, there’s been a complete change in attitude, and she insists that she can take care of everything herself, even physical tasks that are clearly a challenge. I’m not certain whether she’s trying to prove something or if it has something to do with Dad’s death. Whatever her reasoning, I worry about her. I can’t be with her all the time, so I want to help make her home safer, wherever ...
Source: Minding Our Elders - April 7, 2020 Category: Geriatrics Authors: Carol Bradley Bursack Source Type: blogs
Treating COVID-19 in a patient with multiple myeloma
Some readers have recently been asking me about curcumin and Covid-19. Is it good or bad to be taking it if you contract coronavirus? Can it reduce your risk of contracting Covid-19? (See my post on vitamina D, incidentally.) I don’t know.
If I had any answers, believe me, I’d be publishing them…immediately.
Well, it just so happens that this afternoon I read a very interesting Science Daily article that may shed some light on this matter. It discusses the case study of ONE myeloma patient, in Wuhan, who was given an immunosuppressant drug, a monoclonal antibody, called tocilizumab. Here’s the lin...
Source: Margaret's Corner - April 4, 2020 Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Margaret Tags: Blogroll curcumin myeloma tocilizumab Source Type: blogs
Part One: Tapping the Wrist
The wrist is not commonly aspirated in the emergency department, but emergent arthrocentesis may be indicated for extreme or concerning cases, and tapping the wrist to determine the underlying pathology or relieve pain may be of great value. The synovial fluid from the joint space can be analyzed for crystals, infection, and blood. This information may help determine the overall plan and aid in decision-making and consultation. The ultimate treatment plan may include admission, intravenous antibiotics, multiple aspirations, and even surgical washout.A swollen, painful wrist that is hot to the touch is concerning for sep...
Source: The Procedural Pause - April 1, 2020 Category: Emergency Medicine Tags: Blog Posts Source Type: blogs
Podcast: Smoking Weed for Anxiety – Fact vs Fiction
Cannabis, weed, marijuana, pot. It goes by several names, but we all know what it smells like. As weed becomes more mainstream, we on the Not Crazy podcast want to know: Is marijuana really an effective treatment for anxiety? Is it just a coping mechanism? Or a vice? In today’s podcast, Gabe and Jackie look at the research and weigh out the evidence. They also interview Eileen Davidson, a rheumatoid arthritis patient who regularly uses marijuana as a medicine to see what she has to say.
What’s your take? Tune in for an open-minded discussion about weed.
(Transcript Available Below)
SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW
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Source: World of Psychology - March 30, 2020 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Not Crazy Podcast Tags: Anxiety and Panic General Medications Not Crazy Podcast Source Type: blogs
Fight Aging! Newsletter, March 30th 2020
This study, for the first time, shows that transplantation of non-autologous mitochondria from healthy skeletal muscle cells into normal cardiomyocytes leads to short-term improvement of bioenergetics indicating "supercharged" state. However, over time these improved effects disappear, which suggests transplantation of mitochondria may have a potential application in settings where there is an acute stress.
Outlining Some of the Science Behind Partial Reprogramming at Turn.bio
https://www.fightaging.org/archives/2020/03/outlining-some-of-the-science-behind-partial-reprogramming-at-turn-bio/
Turn.bio is ...
Source: Fight Aging! - March 29, 2020 Category: Research Authors: Reason Tags: Newsletters Source Type: blogs
Macrophages as Both Friends and Foes in Age-Related Diseases
Macrophages are cells of the innate immune system, found throughout the body, and which play a great many roles beyond the obvious ones of defending against invading pathogens. They destroy cancerous and senescent cells, ingest molecular waste and debris between cells, and participate in the processes of tissue regeneration and maintenance, to pick a few examples. Further, the immune system of the brain includes an analogous population of cells known as microglia, which additionally take on supporting roles essential to the proper functioning of neurons and their synaptic connections.
Chronic inflammation is importa...
Source: Fight Aging! - March 27, 2020 Category: Research Authors: Reason Tags: Medicine, Biotech, Research Source Type: blogs
A Short Commentary by Reason from the Giant Health Conference in 2019
I had quite forgotten about the video of this short commentary I'd given last year at Giant Health in London. I was recently prompted for a transcript by someone, and so here it is. This conference was a mainstream health event, not normally a place that would have any great focus on longevity and aging. However, the Aikora Health principals had claimed one of the stages and put together a set of presentations from various people involved in the development of means to treat aging, myself included. All of us were ambushed by interviewers with cameras at some point in the proceedings, and hence this video.
Longevity ...
Source: Fight Aging! - March 26, 2020 Category: Research Authors: Reason Tags: Healthy Life Extension Community Source Type: blogs
Harvard Health Ad Watch: What ’s being cleansed in a detox cleanse?
Lately, I’ve been hearing a lot from patients and friends who are enthusiastically pursuing a “whole body cleanse” or “colon cleanse,” or a “detoxification cleanse.” And I’ve seen ads about these cleanses promising a number of health benefits, based on the general principle that every so often it’s a good idea to rid yourself of toxins that are undoubtedly accumulating within you.
Spring cleaning for your body? The idea goes back centuries. And sure, cleansing — or cleaning — is clear enough for bathing or mopping a floor. But how does a cleanse work in the human body? Do cleanses really deliver on th...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - March 25, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Robert H. Shmerling, MD Tags: Digestive Disorders Health Men's Health Women's Health Source Type: blogs
Travis and Ashley rediscover health and slenderness on the Wheat Belly lifestyle
Ashley convinced her husband, Travis, to join her in following the Wheat Belly lifestyle that began with the Wheat Belly 10-Day Grain Detox. Ashley lost 70 pounds, while Travis experienced both weight loss and health/emotional benefits. Travis elaborates:
“I feel like I have a new lease on life and I feel better than I have ever felt in my entire life (40 years old).
“I started this WOE at 285 lbs on July 21, 2019, so it’s been 8 months and I’m down 65 lbs. It took me a couple months before I finally felt like I had completely detoxed and felt great everyday. It’s a bit overwhelming at first but it all be...
Source: Wheat Belly Blog - March 24, 2020 Category: Cardiology Authors: Dr. Davis Tags: Open Gliadin gluten grain-free Inflammation Weight Loss wheat belly Source Type: blogs
Digital Twins and the Promise of Personalized Medicine
Can you guess the percentage of patients with Alzheimer’s on whom medication is ineffective? What about those with arthritis? Or cardiac arrhythmia? In fact, you don’t have to guess as the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) already has the answers: 70%, 50% and 40% respectively. The percentage of patients for whom medications are ineffective range from 38-75% for varying conditions from depression to osteoporosis.
The main cause is because of the very genetic makeup of every individual. The latter is so different and their interaction so unique that therapies for the “average patient” might very well no...
Source: The Medical Futurist - March 19, 2020 Category: Information Technology Authors: Prans Tags: Future of Medicine Personalized Medicine digital health technology healthcare data digital twin technology design Source Type: blogs
Some unconventional thoughts on coronavirus (COVID-19)
Public health authorities are advising frequent hand washing and social distancing, especially in the absence of confirmatory testing for COVID-19. I don’t have any wisdom to add to these practices. Vaccines are in the works, as are anti-viral drugs—nothing to add here, either.
But let me reiterate what we do in the Wheat Belly and Undoctored lifestyles. In general, we do not treat diseases; we correct the factors that allow disease to emerge in the first place—a big difference.
Take rheumatoid arthritis, for example. In conventional healthcare, the joint pain and swelling of rheumatoid arthritis are sup...
Source: Wheat Belly Blog - March 18, 2020 Category: Cardiology Authors: Dr. Davis Tags: Open probiotic undoctored wheat belly Source Type: blogs
The Fantastic Autoimmune Beasts and Where to Find Them
Hairy, scary, funny looking or pretty cool. The beasts in the Harry Potter universe are quite the diverse bunch with unique abilities and qualities. Just like new digital health tech targeted to fight autoimmune diseases or for the main part: their symptoms.
Source: Warner Bros. Framestore
The common ground for completely different illnesses like type 1 diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and multiple sclerosis is an immune system disfunction. Immune cells and mechanisms target the body’s own cells and structures, deconstructing it bit by bit and inducing inflammation.
An estimated...
Source: The Medical Futurist - March 17, 2020 Category: Information Technology Authors: szandra Tags: Biotechnology Future of Medicine chatbot diabetes digital health sleep optimization chronic pain chronic illness skin coronavirus autoimmune disease Source Type: blogs
Caregiver Burnout is Best Prevented Since Recovery Is Hard on Everyone
Dear Carol: My mom, age 79, has had steadily declining health for several years. Arthritis is a genetic problem in my family, so pain is an issue. Besides that, she has severe asthma, so her lungs show a lot of deterioration. The family has handled all of this but now her thinking is getting foggy. She’s resisted moving to assisted living even though we all know that this would probably be best. I work full time, so even though I live in her community, I can’t be with her all the time. I also have teenage kids so even checking on Mom every day is getting to be too much. I know that I’m just getting started with this ...
Source: Minding Our Elders - March 12, 2020 Category: Geriatrics Authors: Carol Bradley Bursack Source Type: blogs
At Loggerheads With Your Older Parent About Needing Help? This Can Help
Photo credit Matthew Bennett
“My mom is 81 and lives alone in her condo,” Judy Hanson writes. “Her arthritis is painful, but she gets around with a walker. Her mind is okay for now, though she is sometimes forgetful. I also feel that she is lonely. “I’m worried about her safety and have been telling her for several years that she needs help,” she continues. “I’m not proud to say that I’ve stooped to yelling at her, but I have done it. I hate the thought of her falling and not having help, and I also think she’d be happier with more company. There’s a nice assisted living close by me so that’s where ...
Source: Minding Our Elders - March 8, 2020 Category: Geriatrics Authors: Carol Bradley Bursack Source Type: blogs
